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In House of Cards, Kevin Spacey tries to pull off a difficult trick. He plays Francis Underwood, a politician who is cold, ruthless and deceitful. But he is also the show’s narrator, often breaking the “fourth wall” between actor and viewer, speaking and smirking at the camera.

In this way, we’re encouraged to side with Underwood and care about his ambitions, despite his brutal and unethical methods. He’s a bad guy — but one that has to appeal to our own inner bad guy.

Thankfully, Spacey pulls off this trick with aplomb. This is partly because his terrific performance is supported